A Way To Cope: A Ted Rewrite
by LillieL
Summary: This is a Spuffy rewrite of the episode Ted written for a challenge.  She's gotten into a bad habit of lying to everyone around her, her friends think she's dating Angel, Giles thinks her nightly walks are a patrol through town instead of a way to cope.


**A Way To Cope: A Ted rewrite**

**A/N**: Challenge fic for Arina Summer, hope it's what you were looking for. Thanks to my beta reader (numberonebuffyfan). My Buffy seems to be a little more sarcastic and dark than normal season 2 Buffy.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Buffy, the amazing Joss Whedon does.

**Challenge**:

Spuffy rewrites of the episodes are always great so far I've only found one spuffy rewrite for the episode "Ted" Season 2. I'd like to change that. I think even in Season 2, Buffy's mental state towards men and relationships is less damaged than when she and Spike finally get together in Season Six.

Must:

Have a rewrite of Ted with Spike and Buffy either having just gotten together as a couple or becoming and ending as a couple by the end of the rewrite of Ted.

Must have Spike bashing Angelus, something along the lines of how Buffy chose the right vampire.

Must have Buffy falling romantically for Spike. She must realize that Angelus/Angel is not right for her.

Buffy should have a confrontation with Angel not Angelus about how Spike is so much better for her. (Angel bashing in general)

Spike getting out of his wheelchair in front of either Angelus or Buffy (Both is fine too. Buffy having romantic feelings for Spike before/during this, is welcomed too).

Must Not Be:

It cannot be NC-17, I'd like something yummy but not smutty, R or less is fine.

Can't have Angel kiss Buffy, No temporary B/A pairing please.

* * *

><p>The young blond haired woman stands against a brick wall in the bad part of Sunnydale, all alone. She's caught up in her thoughts and misses the quickly becoming familiar sound of Spike's wheelchair creaking as it rolls towards her.<p>

"I've got a little gift for you Slayer." Spike calls out as he throws a hard covered ancient looking book at her feet. "Might want to do a bit of light reading."

"Right and I'm suppose to what... trust you?" Buffy replies pushing at it with her foot. "What is it?"

"Read it." He reiterated before rolling away.

"Really kills off your ability to be creepy doesn't it?" The blond woman calls after him before picking up the book and quickly stashing it in her bag before heading home.

After a quick discussion with her mom about school and friends she is finally able to escape upstairs alone, taking the book out of her bag she sits on the edge of her bed and opens it. It smells musty, like its been hidden away for years, and the cover has some kind of material on it but the first page has a single unusual word on it

- Angelus.

Buffy reads the first line and finds herself continuing on as if forced. By the time she closes the back cover her mind is filled with questions and very few answers. With hours left until dawn the blond teenager finds herself putting the book back in her bag, crawling out the window and heading over to Angel's mansion.

Buffy knocks on the door calmly and waits for him to answer, quickly speaking before he can say anything. "We need to talk."

"About what?"

She stays silent until they are standing in the living room with the table between them. "This." She takes the book out of her bag and push it across the wooden table

He picks the red book up suspiciously. "Where did you get this?"

"Spike. I know everything, all about you and Angelus, and... everything." The teen finishes lamely.

"Spike needs to be watched Buffy, he's not safe."

She couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "Right and what exactly do you call Angelus? Spike has never lied to me and before you say anything let me point out all the times you withheld information or only half told me something. God, all we ever do is fight!"

"And you think he's not going to fight with you?" He said with a flat face.

"Angel I can't do this hot-cold on-off thing with you, what we have isn't the beginning of a relationship, its self torture." She carefully takes off the crucifix he gave her and hands it to him. "Let me tell you this simply, okay? This isn't working so I'm out." She replies sharply. "And don't try any of that 'I'm a vampire being mysterious is what I do' stuff. Could you show some emotion maybe?"

"Buffy before you leave please listen."

"I've listened and there's nothing to hear, just the same old 'blah blah blah I'm Angel and I have a soul, I'm a good vampire.' You might be good but you're not good for me."

* * *

><p>She's gotten into a bad habit of lying to everyone around her, her friends still think she's dating Angel, Giles thinks her nightly walks are a patrol through town instead of a way to cope. Each time Buffy's alone in the night she feels more and more detached, like she can't tell anyone the dark thoughts buzzing in her head, and each day her mother seems to be pulling further and further away. It's uncomfortable at first when she begins using him as a support system, every morning she reminds herself of the evil he's done; yet again and again the teen finds herself telling him her secrets.<p>

The graveyard is quiet when she enters and goes to her favourite thinking spot, an old oak. Buffy sits beneath the tree silently with her arms wrapped around herself to ward off the chilly night air.

"Oi Slayer! Might want to watch your back a little better." A familiar voice calls.

"What do you want? I told you to stay away from me." She looks over at him then sighs and closes her eyes.

"Is this about that fluff you call a boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend - I'm not sure he ever was."

"Well that's a change init. What you got tired of his itty-bitty creeper act?"

"And stalking me while wheelchair-bound isnt?" Buffy asks in fake surprise. "Whatever will your other evil half think?"

"Dru's left me." He mutters angrily. "The cosmos have planned and I'm not to play or somethin."

She stays silent, letting the moment grow awkward.

"Why in the bloody hell are you moping out here? 'S cold." He asks after a moment glancing about.

At the mention of the temperature she shivers and rubs her arms. "I can't go home, Mom's new boyfriend is there again."

He shrugs out of the heavy leather jacket and hands it to her. "Can't have our pretty little slayer freezing herself half to death."

"Are you flirting with me?"

"Showed 'm the book huh?" He asks changing the topic.

"Yep and he tried to blame our punctured life boat of a relationship on you."

"Same old bloody tosser that one." He grunts. "Have you told the rest about all this yet?"

The blond shakes her head, "They're not exactly in 'listen to Buffy' mode since this whole Ted thing started. All I get is 'try getting to know him' and Willow even said I have a Freud complex. Angel was no help, he's all 'you're just having problems dealing with your mom's changing relationships', maybe it's a good thing we broke up." After a pause. "I mean more time to concentrate on slaying right?"

"Yeah that's a right good time."

Buffy looked at him questioningly. "It's kind of my job Spike, kill the bad guys and keep all the innocent safe."

"And yet here I am." He answers smugly.

"Because in your state you could harm a puppy. Ooo scary." She can almost feel the sarcasm oozing out of her voice.

"Let you in on a little secret pet." He whispers conspiratorially before standing up out of the wheelchair and sitting down next to her.

"How... why-"

"Like it as is, they follow all my commands and I don't even have to harm no one - 'fraid once I get out of this chair things'll go back to before." He explains while pulling out a cigarette and offering her one. "Tit for tat pet, tell me about what's got you all tied up."

"It's just me being down because Mom's got someone new I guess."

"And what about this boyfriend of mum's?"

"Everyone loves him... he seems so perfect... but not in the 'yay he's awesome' way more in the 'gives me the creeps' way. And he keeps trying to give me things like cookies and pizza and... I dunno maybe I'm just being unfair like everyone says."

He moves a little closer to the young woman to rifle in the pocket of his jacket then lights the cigarette before returning the old fashioned gold lighter back into the pocket and settling back so that she is leaning against his shoulder. "Trust your instincts Buffy, you're a slayer, got 'em for a reason."

"Does it seem weird to you that my mortal enemy is the one person I can confide in?" She asks quietly.

"'Way of the world that is."

She falls once again into silence.

"Better be getting home soon, don't want Mum to find out how naughty you've been, sneaking out in the middle of the night."

"Yes because this is the first time I've ever felt the need to sneak out and besides she's probably not even home." She replies standing up and taking off the coat to hand it back. "Thanks for being less evil as of recent. You're actually not that bad without all the 'I'm a big bad fear me' vibe."

"Keep it for now, still a tad nippy."

"Thanks, for listening to me Spike, but if you bite anyone I will stake you."

With that parting remark she leaves the graveyard and heads home. The windows are still dark and her mother's vehicle isn't in the driveway as she climbs up into her room silently. Her bed is a welcome haven which she happily falls into.

The next day she wakes to the obnoxious sound of her alarm clock telling her its time for school. Buffy drags herself out of bed and quickly gets dressed before heading downstairs for a non-Ted related breakfast of cereal and milk, ignoring the piece of coffee cake on the counter with her name written in marker on the cling wrap.

School is like any other day thankfully until she bumps into him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm updating the software in the guidance office - which reminds me." He hands a disc to Willow. "Your upgrades."

She glares as he tries to bribe her and her friends into mini golf, she makes an excuse only to have it shot down by Xander.

* * *

><p>"Are you stalking me? Because dead or not that's just wrong."<p>

"Checking in is all, you seem a little pissed off. Poor bastard really must've said some nasty things to you." He nods towards the pile of ashes on the ground then claps his hands together and stands up out of his chair. "So let's have ourselves a little story time."

"Oh good, cause I can't see where this is leading."

"Hush and listen. Once upon a time there was a slayer, she was 'kind of' dating a re-souled poof before one day something better came along - "

"Spike." She warns halfheartedly.

"Shush here comes the best part. So the pretty little slayer left the poof and made her way into the real world alone. The world was full of big bads not of the demon variety and so she didn't quite know what to do until one day when she met a handsome leather wearing stud."

"Stud?"

"Shhh. And so she confided in him about her fears of the bads and he helped her to regain her place in the world, she was so very thankful that she gave him exactly what he had been dreaming about."

"A thousand percent no."

"Oi you don't even know what I'm talking about."

"It's you, not hard to figure out."

He sighs and gives her a dirty look.

"If it's not what I think then what do you want?" She asks after a moment.

"A kiss."

"A kiss?"

He leans forward and firmly presses his lips against hers. She stays stock-still in shock before gasping as he pulls away.

"Night." He tells her before sitting back down and rolling away.

She stands there for a moment frozen before finally making her way in a daze down the streets towards home. Even the sight of Ted sitting in their living room watching television with her mother isn't enough to break her out of the brain fog the kiss has induced.

"Oh Buffy, good you're home. Ted baked us a casserole, its on the counter."

"Not hungry." She replies absently before climbing the stairs and going into her room. The change in scenery barely registers as she completes her bedtime rituals before climbing into bed. That night her dreams are filled with him.

* * *

><p>The park is empty at night. She loves to sit alone on the bench and just for that little bit of time feel like nothing in life is real and it's only her and the darkness. He meets her here if she's not in the graveyard, the same bench in the same hidden area with the stake gripped tightly in her hand.<p>

"Tomorrow is D-day." She tells him as Spike steps out of the wheelchair to join her on the bench. She lets her head fall to his shoulder in exhaustion.

"I'm not going to lie to you pet, it's probably gunna be miserable and hellish." He replies. "But it'll make mum feel better and that's the real reason for this innit?"

"Right, just gotta remember I'm doing this for her." Buffy reminds herself before pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms around them. "Thank you for being here Spike, as weird as this is."

He carefully puts an arm around her and pulls her closer without a word.

"I better get going, long day tomorrow." She finally says pulling away. The walk out of the park feels lighter than the way she felt on the way in.

Spike watches her until she's out of his sight before standing and getting back into the wheelchair. In the lonely darkness with the smell of her shampoo still lingering he makes a decision.

Angel's mansion is dark when he gets there. The man that opens the door is silent as he comes out onto the porch. "Leave her alone Spike."

"I'm sorry Angel but I'm not sure who you're speaking of."

"Buffy."

"Buffy doesn't want you anymore, soul or not. Face it mate, that fiesty little piece of slayer needs more than you can give 'er."

"And you think you can?"

"Well between you and me? Yes. Now against Angelus? Little more of a competition isn't it? Though got to admit she did pick the right vampire."

"She'll figure it out one day Spike, and then she'll leave."

"Mmm I think not, see I know a little something you may not. The poor little slayer is lost in the woods and looking for a guiding hand to lead 'er out. My plan is not only to be that guide but to become what you couldn't, her pillar."

"She doesn't need your kind of support."

"What do you know? She came to you for help with her mum's new boyfriend and instead of getting sympathy and support she gets a talk on how to bottle it all up. Truth is your soul hasn't done much for your people skills. Sweet little Buffy is mine now and I didn't do a thing to 'er, no lies, no games, just the real me." He smirks at the darker man before rolling away to let it all sink in. Revenge may be sweet but knowing it was of the other man's own creation was even sweeter.

* * *

><p>"C'mon and tell Spike all about it love." He whispers in her ear as they sit close together under the oak tree in the cemetery waiting for a new vampire to rise. "What happened to make you so very jumpy?"<p>

"He threatened to hit me... he said he was going to slap me, and it was like a total Jekyll and Hyde – he flips out on me then suddenly turns into Mr. Normal like nothing had happened." She tells him.

"Did you tell Mum?"

"What do I say? Your psycho boyfriend caught me cheating at mini golf and threatened to slap me and by the way I think there's something wrong with the food he keeps giving you?"

"'s a start." He answers running a hand against her back in a way meant to comfort her. "Try explaining how you feel to her – man's a psycho like you say she must've noticed something."

She sighs. "Probably not, seems like I'm the only one who notices his weird behaviour."

"Your mum might get hurt if you don't say something Buffy." He replies before wrapping his arms a little tighter around her. "Stop doubting yourself, slayer instincts remember?"

Buffy nods before pulling away and standing. "Mr. Future Dust Pile better get up soon, I've got a major test to study for."

* * *

><p>She sighs and leaves the kitchen. Once again her mother isn't hearing a word she says. Buffy leaves the room and heads upstairs to think.<p>

"There's obviously something wrong with him, like bi-polar wrong, but how do I find out what it is? He's got to have a record of some sort – maybe he's had a freak out before and hurt someone or damaged property or something. I need to get a look at his files and find out more..." The teen muses to herself aloud, something she does to help herself find the answers to her problems. "I'll ask Willow."

School is flashing by without even making an impact and before she even realizes it lunchtime is upon her. Willow meets her outside the classroom and they walk outside together as she breaches the subject.

"I need you to check out Ted."

"What do you mean 'check him out'?"

"I mean Investigate him, find out his secrets, hack into his life."

"Can you say overreaction?"

"Shut up Xander. Please Willow, he acts like I'm in the way and Mom's acting so weird."

"You mean like in love?"

"I mean like Stepford."

"It seems like you want to find something bad, don't look at me like that I'm on your side I'm just saying you seem a little obsessed."

"The man lost his mind over mini golf, seem normal to you?"

"Okay what do you want me to find out?"

"Everything... let's start simple, where does he work?"

"Sure, meet me before the end of lunch in the computer lab."

"Thanks." Buffy replies.

* * *

><p>Dinner was self torture – or so it seems to Buffy who has to listen to her mother praising Ted and sit silently as he said grace. The relief of finally being allowed to leave is coupled with the need to go work off some of her stress. She grabs a stake and a back up before carefully putting the wooden chest back in her closet then climbing out the window.<p>

The graveyard held no vampires and neither did the park so she wanders her way to the playground and sits down on one of the swings. She calls out quietly for vampires, hoping on a certain one. When there came no sign of him after what she guesses to be ten minutes she heads back. Climbing into her room she misses the man sitting in the chair holding her diary.

"When your mother told you to go to your room she meant for you to stay here not go gallivanting all over town."

"What are you doing in here?" She asks backing up and looking around before spotting the contents of her wooden chest laying on her dresser. "You went through my things? That's my personal stuff, you had no right -"

"Listen here little miss, I have all the right, I have the right to know what a vampire slayer is and who this Spike character you write so very passionately about is." He replies flashing her the diary held in his hand.

"You read my diary?"

"Listen to me and listen well: your mother and I are going to be very happy together Buffy and you are not going to stand in my way. Now, sleep tight."

"That is mine and you are not leaving this room with it." She says grabbing his arm.

"Take your hand off me."

"No. Give me it."

Suddenly he smacks her across the face causing her to fall into the closet door.

"I was so hoping you'd do that." She taunts before hitting him back.

They trade a few blows before the teen gets the upper hand and kicks him into the hallway.

"Buffy stop this." Her mom yells as she watches he daughter force the man down the hallway.

She kicks him one last time not realizing how close to the stairs they are. He falls down them, landing at the bottom completely still.

Her mother runs down to the man's side calling out his name and trying desperately to find a pulse. The older woman calls the police, telling them there'd been an accident.

Buffy sits on the steps outside silently watching them load the bag containing Ted into an ambulance. She is in shock when the police start asking her questions, she answers honestly explaining about the threat and his invasion of her privacy. The ride home is silent and she crawls into bed still unable to process what has happened.

"Buffy, love speak to me. I saw the commotion early, came by to see if you were alright." Spike whispers as he climbs in the window.

"I killed him... he hit me and I pushed him down the stairs." She tells him with tears in her eyes. "I didn't mean to."

"Shhh, I trust you. Hush and lay down." He replies carefully pushing her downwards on the bed.

"Lay with me? Tell me everything is going to be fine."

"But."

"Lie, please, lie."

He eases himself next to her on the bed and holds her while she whispers an explanation that he doesn't need to hear. She pours her heart and mind out and all he can do in return is rub her back and lie to her until she falls asleep.

* * *

><p>The next day is torture. All she wants to do is hide, but between the choices of home and school she picks strangers staring at her and whispering. Her friends are supportive but she's unable to cope and finally gives in. At home she hides in her room, finally coming out to try and talk to her mom about what's happened.<p>

"I didn't mean to hurt him." She whispers, begging her mother with her voice to listen, to understand.

"I don't want to talk about this right now."

"But mom I..."

"Please Buffy just go to your room."

She silently obeys, at first sitting quietly on her bed then deciding to call her friends just to hear someone still having confidence in her ability to be human. No answer at Xander's and Willow's mom has no idea of where she might be, offering the library or maybe girl guides. Finally the stress begins to get to her and she decides to go out just for a little while.

"She nailed it shut." The teen mutters aloud as she tries to pull open the window. "This day cannot get any worse."

A shadow behind her causes her to turn around. She is frozen in shock at the sight of Ted alive and relatively well standing in front of her.

"Beg to differ." He growls.

"I... I killed you."

"That's right little lady, you killed me. And don't we have anything to say? Aren't we sorry?"

"What are you?"

"A salesman, and one thing you should always remember about a good salesman is no matter how you put him down he will always bounce back up." He replies before grabbing her and throwing her across the room to fly into the little stool sitting in front of her make-up table. She pulls herself back up and begins hitting him until he grabs her by the throat.

"See I had to shut down for a little while to get you off my back. You should've seen the intern's face when I got up off the table, it was a hoot. Fun's over though. He begins choking her until a noise downstairs causes him to pause. She grabs a nail file off the make-up table and stabs it into his arm. "That's not playing fair missy." He kicks her in the head hard enough to knock her out. Just before she blacks out she hears him speak one last time. "Don't worry about your mom, we're going to be very happy."

She wakes to a familiar voice. "Buffy, love, open your eyes."

"Spike? What happened?"

"Shhh, it's alright. I came to check on you, Mum was downstairs busy in the kitchen so I was quiet gettin' up here."

"The window was nailed shut."

"Fixed that. What happened?"

"Oh god, Ted!" She said with a gasp. Buffy got up and tried the nob, kicking it off when she found it locked.

He had her mother forcibly held so she carefully made her way to the kitchen, thinking of nothing more than getting her mom away from him. She grabbed a cast iron skillet and waited for him to come into the other room, Buffy begain swinging and hitting him square in the face. It takes two hits to keep him down. She calls an ambulance for her mom after getting Spike to take the robot to Giles' for Willow to take apart.

"You okay?"

"Thank you for all of this." She whispers kissing him gently on the mouth.

"Buffy." He whispers in reply.


End file.
